Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović
Today, we published the breaking news about the video spot for Sarajevo Brewery’s brand of natural spring water Lejla. There were a lot of comments on social networks that agreed with our view that the spot was subverted to the client. Even though we broke all the records in visits to the portal this year, I’m not happy for it. In six years, since the portal has been publishing articles every day, we have released so many good and positive news that went almost unnoticed. But if we have a shocking title, everyone runs to read it.
I’m a friend of Sarajevo Brewery. I’ve proven it many times. Perhaps I proved it most fifteen or more years ago, when in a fabricated political play the tax administration and finance police spent day’s in the Brewery for months. None of the media then wanted to say it was a politically motivated action. They didn’t dare do so, because the state used to finance them. Together with Zdenka Mihajlović, Chief Executive of Market Banka, I went to Mr. Branković, Director of the Brewery, and informed him that we would like to nominate him as a Manager of the Year in the project of the Business Magazine which I was publishing and editing at that time. Mr. Hilmo Selimović, owner of Sarajevo Brewery was also there. They asked me, “Do you dare do so?” I said I do. I knew that Brewery was doing well and I was afraid that politicians would destroy it as they had destroyed many good companies before. The tax and financial police, of course, found nothing unlawful.
I have one trait that many don’t like, and that is that I tell my friends the truth when they make mistakes, because I care about them. For those whom I don’t care about, I don’t react at all. That’s why we published the news yesterday. I care about Sarajevo Brewery continuing to thrive, and I cannot remain silent when someone swindles them like this. Everything about the Lejla brand is a copy – Lejla, the water of love, and Jana, the water with a message of love. Same brand color – magenta. That spot is the same as the other one. Why? To get away cheaper. How did Onazis use to say? I’m not rich enough to buy cheap things. That’s how the Sarajevo Brewery management should think. In the midst of so many good agencies and creatives, they engage copy-pasters for their spot production.
Amid all the fuss I received three offers based on my yesterday’s diary. There potential investors to launch the portal in Dubai approached me. I almost can’t believe that my comment yesterday (not to say jesting) caused such reactions. For me, almost none of the offers is acceptable. With one of them I wouldn’t collaborate for any money. The other one is untrustworthy. The third one immediately offered to pay me the costs of traveling and staying in Dubai for 15 days to explore the media scene and see if there is room for us. I can’t accept this offer either. Where would I find the 15 days to go investigate a market? Although I would do it gladly, because I think agencies from our region have fantastic chances to succeed in that market. Maybe we could help them. We can do it from here as well. I have a few sources in Dubai that can get us the mail addresses of the UAE communications industry, and from neighboring countries, whose advertising is managed from Dubai. We could start sending them our newsletter in English. Through good campaigns on the portal, we could make great promotion of the creativity of our agencies. If only they would start sending us their campaigns. Getting campaigns from them is still like pulling out healthy teeth.
Last night I talked with Asja. She’s all for Dubai. Vedrana would have nothing against it, because she is certain she could quickly find a job in some cosmetic salon there, after 36 years of successful running her own salon in Sarajevo. Filip would probably accept it (he’s in the Netherlands and I couldn’t reach him). The only problem is me, as always. I remember an interview that Emir Kustrica gave after winning the Golden Palm in Cannes for the movie “When Father was Away on Business”. The reporter asked him why he doesn’t respond to the big deals he was offered from America. Kusturica replied: “When I meet a man in Sarajevo whose tie is shifted to the left, I know why it happened to him. In America I wouldn’t know.” It’s the same with me, although, thank God, I am not Emir Kusturica. When I meet Bojan, Davor, Aljoša, Damir and I see their current mood, I know why that is so. But if I was to meet an Arab in Dubai, I would have no idea about him. That’s how it goes. Maybe it’s time for me to start changing as well? It’s never too late.
Tomorrow I’m drinking coffee with Adnan and Amir, so I’ll talk to them as well.
Wednesday, 7 September 2017
